Snowy Nights
by ClockworkDreams
Summary: Everyone knew the story of the zodiac. Few knew of the curse that haunted the Sohma family. But nobody knew of the girl who would make them doubt everything they knew. Who could rewrite the story as they knew it. Who could shake their entire world.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Ghost in the Forest**

It was the middle of winter when I first saw her. I'd gotten lost again and was finally on the right path towards my cousin's house, almost there. I stopped, however, when I saw a glow coming from the deeper part of the woods. These woods were rumored to be haunted. When I'd called my cousin an hour earlier, he's said to go straight through the woods without stopping – that it was too dangerous.

But still, some strange curiosity drove me to turn towards the light against all better judgment. As I got closer I heard laughter. Then I saw the frozen lake, the way it seemed to glow just slightly in the night. A girl was skating on the glowing lake. She smiled as she spun and twirled through the air. She was laughing as she moved towards the edge of the lake, a magical sound that echoed and chimed like bells.

I hadn't realized that I had moved until a stick snapped under my foot. The lake stopped glowing instantly as the girl gasped, her head snapping up. I noticed how she glowed just like the lake did. Carrying her skates in her hand, she fled into the woods.

I went back to that lake every chance I had, but I never saw her again. Not for months.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Student Council President**

Little was commonly known about the middle school's student council president. Only that she was always smiling, she was a bit of a klutz, and that she helped people whenever she could.

She's also the president of the middle school student council. She was a hard worker and always came up with creative ideas. It was her idea, actually, to create joint school festivals between the high school and the middle school. It brought in double the money for each of the schools and it opened up the possibilities of what they could do when combining the middle school budget and the high school's larger budget.

She's also, me.

My name is Saika Hunt. I'm fourteen years old, in my last year of middle school, and blind. No one knows that I'm blind, I've managed to keep it a secret from even the High School student council president, Yuki Sohma. I honestly don't know how I've kept it a secret, but everyone just assumes I'm too spacey to make eye contact with them, I guess.

"Miss Hunt," Yuki calls from behind me. I spin around, slamming right into the wooden post I was standing with my back against.

"Ow," I rubbed my nose as it throbbed.

"Miss Hunt, are you alright?" Yuki asks, alarmed.

I wave him off, shaking my head, "I'm okay." I smile as I add, "I do it all the time. What's up?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if the decorations are going to be done in time," Yuki says a little uncertainly.

I nod, "I just checked on them, they'll be done in time. I'm even going to stay late to help them."

I can hear the smile in Yuki's voice when he says, "And you're sure you won't be my vice president when you move up into high school?"

I laugh. He's been bugging me to be his vice president for the past three months, since he realized that this was my last year in middle school. Every time, the answer's the same. "I doubt the high school students would even be okay with a first year vice president."

"They wouldn't care, they know you."

"Yuki," I plead for him to stop.

"Yuki!" My voice is echoed by another girl's. "Can we get some help over here?"

"Duty calls," Yuki says to me.

"Always," I smile as he turns and walks away.

I turn and busy myself for the rest of the day, until night the sun sets and the world lights up for me. I can see at night. It's one of my many secrets, part of what I am. During the day, when the sun's out, I'm completely blind, relying only on my other senses to get around. But at night, when the moon's out, everything changes and I can see just as well as normal people can during the day.

So I stay at the schools late into the night, long after everyone else, even Yuki, had gone home. As usual, Yuki had offered to walk me home, but as usual I refuse, telling him that I would stay behind to finish up the decorations.

"Miss Hunt, this is amazing," Yuki says in surprise as he walks over to me the next morning. I'm sitting on the counter of the face painting booth, in the process of putting my hair up in a pony tail. "You must have gotten barely any sleep."

I just shrug, I never sleep at night. "I couldn't really sleep anyway, so I figured I'd finish up. Does it look okay?"

"It looks amazing. I feel kind of bad though that I wasn't here to help."

"Mr. and Madame President!" Someone calls from further away. "Is it time yet?"

"Are we ready?" I ask Yuki.

"Decorations are up, booths are stationed, music arranged…I think we're ready," Yuki says.

I smile, "Then let's do this."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Spring Festival **

"Let the festival begin," I whisper to myself as people being to pour in. Immediately I hear Yuki's cousin, Shigure. I've met him only twice before but I always recognize his voice instantly because he's been coming to school festivals since Yuki and I teamed up.

My entire body tenses though, even before I hear the new voice. Two new voices, but only one of them makes my heart pound in fear of being discovered. I sense more about people than I see. And I've felt this person before. The last time that it snowed, months ago, before the frozen lake thawed out to water again.

He'd seen me ice skating on top of the frozen lake on the night of the full moon. He'd seen the pond glow, he'd seen me shine. Has he seen me yet? Does he recognize me?

"Saika," when Yuki calls my name, I nearly jump sky high. It takes everything in my to breathe normally and stay calm. "I'd like you to meet my cousins. This Momiji and Hatsuharu."

It wasn't Momiji, his energy's too young, free, hyper. It's Hatsuharu, the quiet one. He's the one that saw me in the forest. But does he recognize me? I can't tell. He doesn't say anything, at least.

"And you remember my cousin Shigure," Yuki continues.

I bow, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Shigure. And it's nice to meet you, Momiji and Hatsuharu."

"Where are Tohru and Kyo?" Yuki asks Shigure.

"Tohru had to work, she promised to come by right after. I'm not sure where Kyo is though…"

I hear fighting several yards off, and a few seconds later we all hear the cheers of boys encouraging the fight.

"Does Kyo like to fight?" I wonder.

Yuki sighs, "Yes."

"Then I think I found him," I say needlessly.

"I think I'd like to get in on this," Hatsuharu says, a trace of darkness in his voice.

"Haru…" Yuki says in a warning voice, but Hatsuharu is already walking away.

"Duty calls, Mr. President," I smile at Yuki just before he turns and hurries after Hatsuharu.

"Well this isn't likely to end well," Mr. Shigure muses thoughtfully. "Come, Momiji, let's go the opposite direction and pretend we don't know them."

I laugh as they leave to go tour the festival, leaving me alone again.


End file.
